Lori Townsend, Alaska Public Media
Racial Equity
What does it mean to have equity? Is it a simple measure of equal access to employment, housing and education, or something much deeper?
APRN: Tuesday, 2/23 at 10:00am
How safe is Alaska’s drinking water?
How safe is your drinking water? Most communities can be confident that their supply is fine, but Flint Michigan showed the nation that bad things can happen.
APRN: Tuesday, 2/16 at 10:00am
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Anchorage paramedic aids refugees in Greece
Anchorage resident Teresa Gray just returned from volunteering in a refugee camp in Lesvos, Greece. Gray is a retired paramedic who was moved to volunteer for three weeks in January with a relief organization based in Ireland, after she saw the tragic and widely circulated photograph of a small refugee boy who died and washed up on a beach. Gray had never assisted with an international relief effort before. She says the refugees who are fleeing Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq pay Turkish Smugglers 1500 dollars a person to get to Lesvos.
Understanding culture through Alaska literature
Literature helps us understand our world, ourselves and each other and Alaska is full of great authors. Tlingit author Ernestine Hayes will discuss her book Blonde Indian and the deeper understanding that can come from reading about lives that are different from our own.
APRN: Tuesday, 2/9 at 10:00am
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Seismic monitoring and earthquake energy
Scientists have been waiting for a decade for a large earthquake in Southcentral to test an array of seismic sensors in Anchorage. What did seismologists learn from the 7.1 temblor that struck Cook Inlet, rattling the Kenai and Alaska's largest city and how might that inform building codes in the future?
APRN: Tuesday, 2/2 at 10:00am
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Cyrano’s theater honored by Governor
The annual Governor's Awards for the Arts and Humanities takes place tonight in the capital city. Awards will be given to outstanding Alaskans for their work in advancing art and humanities. One of tonight's recipients is Cyrano's theater company in Anchorage.
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Alaska Native filmmaker selected for Sundance academy
A lot of Alaskans may know Inupiaq artist Holly Nordlum as a graphic designer, jewelry maker and creator of art that provokes conversations about the painful history of organized religion's impacts on Native people. Born in Kotzebue, Nordlum is a powerhouse of ideas and creative energy. Recently her desire to get a traditional Inupiaq chin tattoo led her on a journey of searching for tattooists who could teach the ancient, cultural art of tattooing with ink and thread or skin poking.
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Sen. Gardner: Lawmakers need committee to vet budget bills
Senate Minority Leader Berta Gardner introduced legislation yesterday to create a permanent Ways and Means committee in the Senate. It's a companion to a bill introduced by Rep. Sam Kito, a Democrat from Juneau, in the House earlier this week.
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Sen. Meyer: Savings can mitigate budget overhaul impacts
The Majority Caucus in the State Senate has one priority this year: restoring fiscal stability to Alaska. And Senate President Kevin Meyer, of Anchorage, says Permanent Fund earnings will have to be part of that mix.
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Rep. Tuck: Budget burden shouldn’t fall on middle class
Anchorage Rep. Chris Tuck is the minority leader in the state House. He questions whether the Governor’s budget proposal is fair for average Alaskans.
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BIA settlement closes; Alaska tribal groups net $100M
The enormous $940 million class-action lawsuit against the BIA on behalf of tribes cleared the last court hurdle today in New Mexico. The case stems from decades of short-funding tribal contracts. More than $100 million will be awarded to tribal organizations in Alaska.
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Chenault: Balance budget with mix of cuts, new revenue
The Alaska Legislative session started today in Juneau. The Senate gaveled in at 11 a.m. and House speaker Mike Chenault started things off for the House at 1 p.m. Lawmakers have a lot of work ahead of them as they attempt to address the state’s massive budget deficit.
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Gov hopes nonpartisan politics will help cross party lines
Gov. Bill Walker is in Juneau preparing for tomorrow's start to the legislative session. Regardless of other considerations, the big challenge will be finding common ground with lawmakers over how to fix the state's large and growing budget deficit.
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The future of the University of Alaska
University of Alaska President Jim Johnsen was direct in his recent comments about budget cuts the university system is facing. “We face terrible challenges, horrible challenges, tough challenges,” Johnsen said at the recent State of the University address. What does this mean for the future of higher education in Alaska?
APRN: Tuesday, 1/19 at 10:00am
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Exxon Valdez litigation ends, but spill’s legacy may be indefinite
Nearly three decades after the disastrous Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, the litigation for the remaining cash the state and federal governments could pursue from Exxon is at an end. But one biologist says the spill's after-effects may linger for centuries.
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Exxon Valdez litigation ends, but spill’s legacy may be indefinite
Nearly three decades after the disastrous Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, the litigation for the remaining cash the state and federal governments could pursue from Exxon is at an end. But one biologist says the spill's after-effects may linger for centuries.
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Rasmuson Foundation, family gift $24M to Anchorage Museum
The Anchorage Museum is getting a big financial boost from the Rasmuson Foundation, and the Rasmuson family, for an expansion. It's a gift of $24 million -- $12 million from the foundation will be matched by the Rasmuson family.
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What’s causing Alaska’s sea bird die-off?
Sea birds are having a tough time in Alaska. Thousands of dead murres have been washing up on beaches in coastal communities and even found inland. biologists are working to pinpoint what's causing this massive die off. Is it El Nino? The warm water blob? Or something else entirely?
APRN: Tuesday, 1/12 at 10:00am
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Stranded whaling fleet, miraculous survival story make archaeological jackpot
Federal scientists discovered the battered remnants of two whaling ships near Wainwright in the Chukchi Sea this fall. The ships are believed to be from 1871 when 33 ships were trapped by sea ice. Miraculously, all 1,219 people stranded survived the harrowing ordeal.
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U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan and the nation’s Arctic policy
U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan has been on the job for one year and has focused on military and veterans issues. He's also been highly critical of the Obama Administration's Arctic strategy, saying a more comprehensive policy is required. In a time of state and federal budget restraints, how will Arctic needs be addressed?
APRN: Tuesday, 1/5 at 10:00am
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